Liège-Brescia-Liège Classic Rally: Next year will see the revival of this unique event!
Photo courtesy of Malcolm McKay
When the Fiat 500, born in 1957, celebrated one of its biggest victories, it was barely one year old. For it was in 1958 at the Liège-Brescia-Liège rally, launched then for the first time, when this little car virtually left all other competitors standing in the rain and dominated the race. On July 11, 2018, green light will be given for the revival of this historic event, the only rally for just one single vehicle category: a rally for microcars. And the organiser, Malcolm McKay, has ambitious plans for the revival, taking place every ten years, as he shared with the Axel Gerstl team. His aim is nothing less than organising the most important, most entertaining and most indispensable event known in the world of these small-engined cars.
Photo courtesy of Malcolm McKay
Malcolm would be particularly happy to see many Fiat 500s among the participants, because because there is a special relationship between the Liège-Brescia-Liège rally and the little 500. After all, it was a brand new Fiat 500 Sport – driven by rally veteran Arturo Brunetto with his co-pilot, young Andrea Frieder – that led all through the 2,000 miles of this 64-hours non-stop race in 1958 and came in first. So, according to Malcolm, Liège-Brescia-Liège is the only international rally ever won by a Fiat 500. And that’s not all: Another Fiat 500, a Fiat 500 Abarth, crewed by the Fiat drivers Wagner and Donven, finished closely behind the winner. Ranks 4, 6, 7, 0, and 13 were also taken by Fiat 500s meaning that all 500s that were at the start of the race successfully completed it – this sounds all the more unbelievable as only six of the other 19 entrants, among them a Berkeley SE328 and a Berkeley SE492, a BMW Isetta, a Citroen 2CV, a Goggomobil and many more, made it to the finish line at all.
Photos courtesy of Malcolm McKay
60 years later, Fiat 500 drivers now have the opportunity to follow in the tracks of their famous brothers of yesteryear, taking the same route through Belgium, Germany, Austria, Italy, and Slovenia. And indeed, the starting grid for 2018 raises hopes for a reprise of the legendary 1958 victory. After all, there are
- two Fiat 500 Ds,
- one Fiat 500 F,
- two Fiat 500 Gardinieras,
- two Fiat 500 Ls,
- one Fiat 500 with a 650 engine,
- one Abarth 650,
- one Gamine 650,
- one Autobianchi Bianchina Trasformabile,
- two Autobianchi Bianchina Panoramicas,
- one Steyr Puch 500,
- one Puch 650
- and a very rare Scoiattolo with a 650 engine
among the 38 participants. All of them are classified in the Authentic Category, provided they are in their original condition and have a 500cc engine with original specification. All models built until 1969 and with engines up to 700cc will start in the Spirit Category.
Photo courtesy of Malcolm McKay
Right in line with the tradition of the original rally from 1958, the official, grand finale of Liège-Brescia-Liège 2018 will take place in Spa, as Malcolm told us – to be precise, in the Musée du Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, hosted in the lovely abbey of Stavelot, a favour by the administration of the abbey for which Malcolm is very grateful.
Photos courtesy of Malcolm McKay
All in all, Malcolm looks forward to a pleasant Liège-Brescia-Liège rally where the leading drivers might well enter into a real competition. The focus, however, should be placed on the beautiful scenery, a friendly atmosphere among the drivers of these little cars and, of course, on fun and pleasure.
Photo courtesy of Malcolm McKay